Making Stuff is Fun.....: Making Stuff is Hard-Vegan Cupcakes

And for another installment of how baking is hard.....

This weekend my mother-in-law and sister in-law were in town and staying with us. Well my MIL is a vegan and her birthday was a couple weeks ago so I decided to make her some vegan cupcakes. My mom recently bought me the Southern Living Big Book of Cupcakes and there was a vegan recipe in there so I decided to give it a try.
The cupcake part turned out well, actually much better than I expected.
Then we got to the icing. That is when the above mishap occurred. This icing involved something called vegan shortening. Vegan shortening looks kind of gross and does not blend at all. I paused the mixer for a few minutes and left the bowl on the counter and as you can see, it fell on the floor and on me. Good times.

So then I pulled out the big guns for my second attempt..........
Mr. Green Kitchenaid Mixer.

I was finally able to get something that resembled icing.

I think my finished product ended up looking pretty good. I added some blackberries.

They tasted decent. I could tell the difference from normal cupcakes but B's mom seemed to really enjoy them. And they are all gone now so I think that's a good sign.

Here is the recipe if you are interested....

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups vanilla soymilk
2 cups all purpose soft wheat flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
paper baking cups
vegetable cooking spray

Vegan frosting
8 tbsp vegan butter or shortening
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup vanilla soymilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 16oz package powdered sugar

For the cakes....mix the vinegar and soymilk together and let it sit for five minutes. Then mix the flour and next four (all the dry) ingredients in a separate bowl. Add the oil and extracts to the soymilk mixture and then mix that into the flour mixture. Bake in a mini cupcake pan at 350 for about 12 minutes.

For the icing....mix the first four ingredients until combined (the hardest part) and then add in the sugar until you get icing.

Best daughter-in-law ever?

Have you ever done any vegan baking?

Or attempted to make your mother-in-law like you by making her cupcakes?

6 comments:

sara said...: I gave up on my MIL liking me about a decade ago :)

And cupcakes without buttercream icing...that's just not a cupcake!; June 20, 2011 at 9:33 AM
Hutch said...: I don't do fake foods. I'm gonna sounds like a B, but it's not that I refuse to cook with them I just refuse to associate with people who don't eat real food that comes from animals.

KIDDING.

I just don't know anyone who is a vegan so I've never had to accept this challenge. Well done, looks delish.; June 20, 2011 at 10:42 AM
bmellisen said...: You have been doing a great job vegan'ing up your recipes. While the vegan cupcakes tasted vegan to me, my mom liked them, and thats why you made them. Now, as long as you can survive kayaking, I think you will be ok.; June 20, 2011 at 3:47 PM
Jenni said...: You do win the best daughter in law award. Thank goodness my MIL is not a vegan. I saw a cupcake wars where one of the bakers only made vegan stuff. Her saying was something like just because it's vegan doesn't mean it has to taste bad.; June 21, 2011 at 8:41 AM
Amanda @ It's Blogworthy said...: See, when you first said "vegan cupcakes", I'm all, eh. I don't know. But dude, those look awesome. The blackberries are a really nice touch. Good call and yes..best daughter in law ever.; June 21, 2011 at 9:57 AM
Crazy Shenanigans-JMO said...: Um... I am dying to have that green mixer!!!; June 23, 2011 at 1:53 PM